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Imperians
Gyldish (gyldfey) Imperia is a vast land that spreads from a central Imperial Capital called the Heart of the First. The main occupants of this land, and of the empire itself, are the Imperian gyldfey, or the Gyldish. These fey make up a large majority of the empire, but it is in theory open to any and all kinds of fey. It is important to note, however, that the emperors and empresses of Imperia have only ever been purely Gyldish. The very term “Gyldish” has become synonymous with Imperian, and the race itself has been colloquially referred to as such. The appearances of the Gyldish can vary widely, possibly more so than any other kind of fey. They can be as colorless as shadowkin or as bright and vibrant as riverfolk. Many Imperians see pure coloration as more desirable, which is most likely an effect of the royal family being mainly gold-toned with little extraneous influence. There are many rumors around Imperia that the emperors and empresses continue having children until they find one who is purest in coloration, and only that child will become the royal heir. A notable cultural aspect of Imperia and the Gyldish is that they are born with small horns, that if they were allowed to grow would become small pointed structures (like in the left-hand picture above). However, this is seen as somewhat inelegant, and most Imperians have them removed in infancy. Not many could tell you where or when the tradition started, but it has been a foundation of Imperian society for many greater cycles. Cyclican Empire Imperia is an empire founded on the religion known as Cyclica, a term derived from the Elderan concept of “cycles.” Cycles are more or less years, except they last only nine months, each of which lasts 28 days. The three seasons of the cycle are directly impacted by the twin moons and the sun, each celestial body playing an important role in the Cyclica. The Book of Cycles is the Cyclican scripture and a history of the empire. There are many major events that have shaped Cyclican thought, including the “death” of the First and the Greater Cycle of Creation. The fey were not the first sentient creations of these gods, and this has caused some contention among the inhabitants of Eldera. An ancient virus known as Death’s Design once roamed the land, and the Nephos were created by Spirit and Time to combat it. Once the virus was eradicated, the Nephos remained, and there was an imbalance in the world. Thus the fey were created to exemplify all three gods, leading the feyish followers of Cyclica to believe they are the one true people intended to inhabit Eldera. This led to the Greater Cycles of Civilization and War, historical memories that all Cyclicans remember solemnly. It was due to the many efforts of the Great Nephostic War that led feykind to become the ruling race of Eldera, the Nephos now in hiding. Because the empire is founded on Cyclica, and Cyclica revolves around the rule of three, there is a religious Triumvirate that leads the church. These three leaders are not quite as powerful as the emperor, but they certainly have a commanding second. The emperor will often request the presence of the Triumvirate or vice versa, for they are constantly in commune with the Three. Usually these religious leaders spend their time meditating like monks in the Temple of Three, although very occasionally they are seen traveling to the realms of Eldera to administer blessings and enchantments. When one of the Triumvirate dies, their spirit is said to flow immediately to a new heir, and this heir is taken to the Temple of Three to begin their discipleship. As a final note on Cyclica, Imperia is very determined to spread their religious beliefs to the other realms of Eldera. In many ways, the others are already a part of the faith, they simply practice in their own ways. Only the Drakkir of Serath have introduced other gods into their pantheon, something that troubles most Imperians greatly. However, it is the goal of Emperor Izaqeth to introduce Cyclican practice into the other realms and ultimately assimilate them. Time Magic Imperians mostly practice time magic, for it seems to be what the empire itself focuses on. This doesn’t mean that Gyldish people are incapable of practicing other forms of magic; in fact, most of Eldera’s mages are Gyldish. The various schools of magic came from the empire’s standardization, resulting in the terminology of “spirit,” “time,” and “death” magic. Each school has its own designation of sorcerer: spirit druids, time wizards, and death warlocks. Mages are magical users who dabble in all three schools, while sorcerers are masters of one school in particular. There are many academies throughout Imperia that dedicate themselves to specific magical studies, but the royal family has only ever employed a Court Wizard. Time magic isn’t as clear-cut as it may seem based on its name. The actualization of traveling in time requires far too much energy and a mixture of other schools to achieve. Instead, time magic focuses on smaller grasps on the concept of timeflow. What’s more, time magic is a much more experimental form of magic than the others. An excerpt written by Eldera’s greatest mage, High Magister Oziman, Blue Family Igmet, reads as follows: “The time wizards of Imperia are practical, innovative, and cunning. It is the goal of time magic to take what exists and create something new, something greater. Through mastery over this form of magic, sorcerers can create enchantments, wards, curses, even use telekinetic abilities. In simple terms, time sorcerers take the magical essence of the land and alter it to serve a specific purpose.” Each form of magic has different methods of control. Time magic requires the drawing of time runes and a steady focus to maintain. Time runes can be physically drawn on surfaces or objects, or they can be inscribed into the air by highly skilled sorcerers. Once a rune is set in place, the spell will remain in time until the rune is broken or concentration is disrupted (for air inscriptions). Even so, without intense study on how to draw these complicated runes, time magic should not be attempted by unpracticed sorcerers or mages. Culture & Society The Gyldish of Imperia have a largely Brittish-French inspired civilization, with large grandiose architecture and galas as well as stiff and rigid rules of conduct. The Heart of the First, known simply as the Heart or the Capital, is the largest city in all of Eldera, and houses the Royal Family’s grand palace. The Capital itself is located in a large network of waterfalls, set into a cavernous cliffedge. The legend goes that when the first Gyldish ancestors settled there, a mystical stone was found among the lush cavern. The stone contained strange magical properties, and it was so inlaid into the ground that it could only be Spirit’s heart, the most true and vital essence of her body. While it is not clear where the stone is now, most believe it to be safely locked away within the palace’s vaults. Colors denote nobility and status within Imperia. Gold is the color of royalty, with white and red as minor colors. Nobility one tier down uses blue as their color, and then purple below it. Green is the last tier before the families grow rather diverse, with all kinds of colors to signify different lineages. There are many other Imperian-inhabited cities throughout the realm. Chantivine lies to the east about two and a half days from the Heart; this city is where the highest nobles and dukes often keep vacation homes, for the enormous lakes make for beautiful scenery and weather in the warm season. Emperor Izaqeth also keeps a vacation home here, where he flies his dragons and keeps his menagerie of magical creatures. To the northeast lies Gavalith, a more industrial city set into the surface of the Alithan Mountains. This is where many of the recruited Dreddic citizens will forge weapons for the Imperian army, but it is mainly inhabited by Gyldish folk who run farms, mills, and distilleries. Another big part of Gavalith is the empire’s Academy of Avian Arts, where Imperians may learn how to capture, raise, and ride avian creatures. The mountain ranges make for great racing courses as well as dragon and griffin nurseries. To the northwest is Berinne, a smaller city dedicated to farmland and military training. The city is located on a prairie known as the Sovereign March, where a great battle occurred against the Nephos of Spirit’s End. It is also a great trading hub between the Dred and the empire. The cities of Semel to the east and Gorobei to the south each serve as assimilation cities, inhabited mainly by non-Gyldish who are entering the empire from Rathalia and Valeida. One of the most notable aspects of Imperian society, aside from the strict lines of nobility and household lineage, is the slave trade. Imperians keep humans as slaves, for they view them as strictly inferior creatures. The Book of Cycles teaches that Nephos created humanity as a way to oppose the fey, and to assert their dominance over the realm of godlike creation. When the Nephos lost the Great War, most of their humans were captured and brought to Imperia, where they were kept as slaves. Human slaves maintain nobles’ houses, some higher-end stores within the market district, and of course the palace. They also populate some of the outer cities of the empire, although due to the lack of imperial status their lives tend to be less difficult. Some slaves have been known to be released from cities like Semel and Berinne, and some even have a modicum of rights in Gorobei City. There are also many myths and stories that make up Imperian culture, the biggest being the Cyclican idol known as Ylla. Ylla was one of the Elder Ones, the ancient ancestors of all feykind, who was believed to house the very soul of Spirit when she attempted to return to life and help her people fight the horrific remnants of Death’s Design, beasts that some believe still exist today. Ylla saved her people with the help of her Chosen, a Gyldish known as Izac. The two of them started the royal family line, and all royal names are delineated from theirs (Izaqeth, Izaqan, Iozaphes / Ylliana, Yalla, Yllani). The tales of Izac are much more prolific than Ylla’s, for he is the center of many Cyclican tales. Some think they are many different Izacs throughout history, but others think they are all stories told about the same true Izac.